With Honor

WITH HONOR OUR TROOPS 

Soldiers give of their time, treasure, wellness, and basic freedoms to insure that we the people may practice what they have given up for us.   

I salute and thank all veterans for their service and I also acknowledge their specific losses during that service for me.  I don't think we fully understand what a veteran gives up to serve. 

With sacrifice they have served.  Death, is the worse loss but other forms of sacrifice need to be remembered.    

Time lost; most vets served from 2 (730 days) to 4 (1460 days) years.   Whether drafted or enlisted, sacrifice was the name of the game.  Not going to college with the rest of your his school graduating class.  Away from home for the holidays, Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, births, deaths, burials, graduations, and the like leave memories of time lost.   

Freedom lost; Told what to do and how to do it for at least the next few years.  Told how and when to kill.  Told how and when to die.  Given the means to kill and to survive.  These are lessons that are never forgotten but are pushed deeply inside the veteran and not talked about.  It is not politically correct.  Freedom of speech disappears the first day of Basic training.  Freedom to assemble is gone for your tour of duty.  You may assemble only as the NCO and Officers direct you to.  Freedom to bare arms is mandatory.  No choice here.  Freedom to worship as you choose takes a back seat to the needs of the State on a given day.  No private property here.  Just a barracks, where the government issues you a bed and locker.  The term Government Issue (GI) takes on a new meaning when your underwear is Government Issue.  Freedom to use the bathroom disappears the first day.  Freedom to have opinions voiced is gone permanently.   

Losses:  innocence, time, family relationships, money, career, youth, physical health, mental health, spiritual health, educational goals, and many other losses to numerous to list here. 

 THIS IS WHAT A SOLDIER GIVES UP TO SERVE

The US Bill of Rights:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.  

Soldier gives up: You do not speak until spoken to and then you are only allowed to speak in a manner that is military speak.  Sir, No Sir etc,  I thought I had an opinion about a topic and so spoke it.  After KP and a few other punishments I learned fast that my freedom of speech was banned for a while.  We were only aloud to assemble when ordered to.  To assemble and to vote on what the NCO’s had ordered us to do was a military criminal offense.  We could petition the government through the Military Chaplin.  How do you think that worked out. 

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.  

A soldier gives up his personnel right to bear arms. The soldier is only allowed to bear arms only at the discretion of the authorities to be.  I had no personal right to bear arms. 

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

This amendment was adhered to.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.  

A soldier gives up his right to security of person and security of property when in the military.  Your very clothes and living area can and is searched on a regular basis.  This is called inspections.  Some of your personnel property is deemed contraband and is confiscated by the military even though in the civilian world it would be perfectly legal.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.  

As the Amendment specifies.  If in the service these rights are suspended.

Amendment VI

A soldier gives up his Miranda rights and the process of the constitutional based prosecution.  No speedy trial, no public viewing, no right to confrontation by accuser.  In place is the Military Code of Justice.  It is not the same as the Constitutional process at all.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

The military does not operate under common law at all. 

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Soldiers give of their time, treasure, wellness, and basic freedoms to insure that we the people may practice what they have given up for us. 

I salute and thank all veterans for their service and I also acknowledge their specific losses during that service for me. 

We are Broke

Reality, “We are Broke”.


Reality, Minnesota (my home state) and the Feds are spending more money than they take in.

Reality, The government borrows money and pays interest on the borrowed money every month just like you do with your mortgage. The interest paid decreases the real money available to spend for services.

Example: Canada 10 years ago was broke; their dollar was $1.50 to ours. They had to bite the bullet, and they did. They closed 1/3 of their hospitals because the Socialized Medicine was breaking them. They regulated their banks and they were not hit with the mortgage crises at all. They made loans to those who could pay it back. In fact their real-estate is going up not down. Then they mined, drilled and exported everything they could. Today their dollar is at par with us and their debt to gdp is 70% 10 years earlier their debt to gdp was at 140%. They have come back from the brink of devaluing their dollar and becoming a third world country. We are headed in the direction of becoming a European style country. If I wanted to live in Europe I would move.

Example; Japan was going to own all of our assets in the 80’s, They were the China of today. They had growth, cash and exports. Today they have a debt to gdp of 225%. Over the last 20 years they did became more socialistic, The government controlled prices and interest rates and bailed out banks and industry, dramatically increased taxes just to keep up appearances and wages high with benefits that were not sustainable. The great industrial nation of Japan is about to become a third world country. They still make great products but they are 2 ½ times more broke than we are. Given the Earthquake and tsunami it will be 50 years before, if ever, that they dig them selves out of the economic hole they made for themselves. Taxes in Japan are at 50%. They pay $50 of every $100 to the government. This government has debt that is 2.25 times greater than there total gdp. They do not have a chance. If the government took all their money they would still have to borrow to survive. It is only a matter of time before they default on everything or start a war to get out of the mess they are in.

Here is a great chart that shows how the growth of debt to gdp has occoured in a number countries from 1992 to 2009. Check this out.

http://www.gfmag.com/tools/global-database/economic-data/10394-public-debt-by-country.html#axzz1NSPJZNtW


Here is how some of the countries tax:

Income Tax Rate           Corporate Tax Rate                 Sales Tax / VAT Rate

US 35                                    35                                      0 in trouble

Japan 40%                             40%                                  5% ruined

Canada 50                              50                                   15 dependent on us

United

Kingdom 50                           28                                     17 stagnant

Germany 42                          33                                       19 stagnant, defaulting?

Greece 40                             24                                       19 defaulting

India 30                                 33                                        12 growing economy



Enough about money. The point is we are broke and we can go the way of Europe, Japan and others and completely enslave ourselves to our governments or we can get out of this mess and never get back in it. It is a war of philosophies at best. Individual Responsibility vs. Government Responsibility. Which do you want? Unions, welfare, farmers, public employees, and every special interest want hand outs, bailouts, benefits and all they can get. They do not care who pays. The government should not be in a position to decide whom the winners and losers are especially with my tax dollar. Why does the government need to employee 2 million workers who cannot be laid off and maintain a standing army of 1.5 million. It is nuts.



Enough of Money:



The presidential season is not yet here and that is all that is on Cable News. I hate it. It is just the same old same old. Their time will come next year give us a break. I do not care who has polled the highest in the last 3 days. I do not care who has been sleeping with whom. I do not care whom Wolf Blitzer thinks will win the race. I do not care if you like Palin or not. Nobody has a crystal ball and nobody especially the pollsters have a clue but they sure like to make us think they do.



We have some real problems that need to be talked about and not just used to get reelected. I already see the Dems with adds of Reps pushing old ladies off cliffs as only the beginning of politics as usual. We are broke who does not get that. If you are a sitting legislature anywhere you better begin to work on the peoples business and stop the “I am working on getting reelected.” Oh please let us have term limits so we can get some work done and get rid of the legislatures whose primary interest is in themselves and reelection, and not doing what “we the people want”. I am 64 soon to be 65. Nobody is going to push me off a cliff. I will survive no matter what the government does. I believe that. Apparently there are still majorities of people who believe that government is the solution to their survival. I do not. If it was all taken away from me today, Social Security, Medicare and whatever else I would survive. I would still go fishing and I would still eat. I guarantee this to myself. I am not looking for a guarantee from the government. They cannot solve one personal problem. They can not solve one economic problem, is all they can do is to take our money and claim they have solutions to our problems. How has that been working for you the last 50 years? Why in the world do we think they can ?



A great example of what is happening in the world of government. Minnesota is no different than the federal government. The legislature passes a spending bill that has major cuts. We are a small state and we are 5 Billion in debt. That is to say we spend every dime we collect and then need to spend 5 billion more that we do not collect. The governor waits till the session is adjourned then vetoes it because he wants to tax the rich and add another billion in spending to the state. Now all the special interest who are at the government trough, unions, elderly, schools, education, and the like want to tax the rich some more so they can keep doing what they have done the past 50 years. Living beyond their means at the taxpayer’s expense. He is nuts. We are broke. Now he will call a special session and attempt to work out a compromise. I do not want a compromise. We are broke. The government does not need more money my god they have mishandled what they have why would any sane person give them more. This is only Minnesota. By the way the special session will cost an arm and a leg but it is just taxpayer money. So why do they care. If they cannot complete the work of the people they should loose their job.



Another example is the debt ceiling being raised once again. We have put off dealing with this for 10 years. We have even passed federal legislation that was just circumvented by the administration so they now do not have to deal with the debt ceiling till august. Does anybody think they will deal with it then? I don’t. If they do it will only be raised again with all the Politicians saying that there are real cuts in the future and we will just do this onetime. They are all liars and everybody knows it. More fear, we will default on our debt and send the world into a tailspin. Give me a break. Liars.

Can you imagine saying to your mortgage holder just give me some more money and I will then use the loaned money to get caught up. Why in the world does our government seem to practice this illogic logic?



The bottom line is term limits. If we had politicians with term limits they would no longer be able to stay in office with special interest buying their vote. Then we the people might get the work of the country done. What ever happened to do the right thing not the politically correct thing? Lets get rid of the old guard and send some new legislators that believe in Individual Responsibility, smaller and leaner government, balanced budgets, spending what we have to spend not more, get out of peoples lives, lower taxes and the like.

Spring is Here

One of my last blogs looked over the landscape of what is happening now and I thought as I sit here looking over the Mississippi River thinking about all the fish we caught this week end, that I should look back at that blog and see if anything has changed since then. The red texts are the new thoughts.

PALIN: She has actually worked for a living. By the way her accent is Alaskan. She is not stupid, her child is not a burden and she is college educated. Make all the fun of her you want be remember you may have voted for the second coming and look what your perception got you there.

Selbysays: She is still my pick. As the Trump noise has continued and now is out and Newt is now in I see Palin continuing to be reasonable and waiting for the right time and not being pushed by the media. She is able to do what is good for her and not react to what is good for the media.

TRUMP: He is popular now but I doubt that he will be in it for the long run. I read his book, The Art of the Deal years ago and one of the centerpieces of his deal making is that he rarely takes more than 2 minutes on most deals. Then he delegates and goes from there. I do not see the Presidency as a 2-minute deal.

Selbysays: He continues with his 2-minute deals and continued self promotion. He is his own best fan. Now he is out

OBAMA: I have no idea what planet this president is living on. He wants to continue to raise the debt of the nation in the face of a disaster that is predicted by anybody who thinks that there has to be a limit to how much money can be printed by the Government to pay our bills. I will give him this he has given us a new word to deal with, TRILLION, here is a good trivia question, What comes next?? (Quadrillion). My answer is disaster.

Selbysays: Osama is dead “we hope” and was killed by a Navy Seal who was or was not acting on the orders of the President. What a mess the WH has made with this story. Obama wants to be the law and order president and not the cold blooded killer he is. He killed Osama, and tried to kill Gaddafi more than once and only seceded in killing his kids; I am not complaining about his behavior just his words of deceit. “He had a gun”, “he was attacking the Seal”, he was using his wife as a shield”. All lies put out by the WH to cover the fact that Obama order the killing of Osama.

This discussion has taken the worry about our finances off the table. Given what has been said lately we do not have to worry about such mundane issues as deficits and the like. Not a word lately except the unemployment rate went up, housing starts went down, home values deflated more and he wants to raise taxes. By the way the deficit limit was reached today and we are now borrowing from Federal retirees accounts. What a way to do business. If I am not mistaken if a Company in the private sector were to take retirement money they would be brought up on criminal charges.

LIBYA: What a great decision to enter into this civil war where the goals are as murky as the Mississippi River in flood. They are a small desert country with a small population that only produces 2% of the worlds oil. What did we have to gain? Nothing. Bring down Gaddafi you say. Why. He has controlled the extremist Muslims the al Queda types for years. The entire Mideast is on fire.

Selbysays: Let us see what is new. Syria is killing its civilian population faster than anybody else. Iran is making a bomb and killing its people. Syria is attacking Israel. The New Egyptian Government is calling for the destruction of Israel. Pakistan was protecting Osama and his many wives. Pakistan fired on NATO today. In order to win the war in Afganistan we are now negotiating with the Taliban for a truce. Sounds like Kissinger and Vietnam to me. We have sent some missiles in an attempt to kill Gaddafi. We did get Osama since the last blog but have only gotten some of Gaddafi’s family to include some kids. To bad. Maybe we should just try and arrest this man with the FBI and then try him in NY City. I am sure that Obama’s, Holter would love a shot at that. Our Libyan policy is truly unbelievable. What in the world are we doing?

GINGRICH: He is the smartest in the field but he has way too much baggage

Selbysays: He is still the smartest in the field and does not have a chance. He currently has his foot in his mouth but he will come back. He is one of the good old boys and that works against him.



JAPAN: What a mess. That’s it.

Selbysays: What a Mess. That’s it. More radiation and more fears. It will take 50 years to get out of this mess

ROMNEY: He has health care baggage as governor. He is to slick to be a candidate. I am sure the Dems would love to have him in the election. How about that State Universal Health Care, looks like Obama care to us. .

Selbysays: Is all he can do is run from the State HealthCare he is responsible for. Not a chance to win.

On a personal note, I’m glad fishing season and spring has arrived in Bemidji, MN. My view of the world is not as pessimistic as it was this winter. A little sun and a few fish go a long way with my mental health. Even though creeping socialism, the unions grab for power, idiot legislators with no term limits, lying politicians, two or three wars, a president who has not a clue, a country that is broke but, but, but, a state that is broke but, but, but, greedy corporations, a supreme court that makes law, out of control public schools, and a few other issues, life is now better.

One Down Many to Go

One Dead, Many to Follow;




The death of OBL is a good thing. It is not the end of anything except his life and his leadership. He was a symbol of and not the actual leader of Al q. Make no mistake his symbol will live on and on in the media and the minds of Al q. as he becomes a martyr to the radical Muslim cause. That cause being the killing of all the Christians they can as fast as they can and wherever they can. Having said this it remains to be seen when the retaliation will occur and what form it will take. The only hope of not having a retaliation on our own soil is that Al q. is involved in most of the middle east’s problems and just maybe they are to busy just now to try something. Who knows? I would like the press to just take a breath and not look for the hidden conspiracies that surround the reporting and the information that seems on its surface to be different from different folks. OBL IS DEAD. That is the story. Anybody who says we need his picture to prove that he is dead, does not have Photoshop software on his or her own computer. Either you believe your elected officials about something like this, or you do not. If you do not you are probably just going to say after the release of the pictures, video etc. That “they just photo shopped the media” and the same guys who put together the moon landing film created the video.

Of course that is why the WH can not get its story straight. The writers continue to edit this story to score political points. The biggest problem this White House has is telling “We the People” that they shot OBL in cold blood. I think that was the most appropriate outcome of the raid. I think most Americans believe this but the WH in its wisdom thinks “We the People” will think that the President is a cold-blooded killer. He is and more power to him. He should take the advise that John Ryan gave to his president in Clear and Present Danger. “Don’t just say he was your friend, say he was a close friend.” Ryan’s point was don’t hide it just puts sharks in the water. OBL needed to die right then and there. The concept of “needed killin’” certainly came into play here. Those who say we should have brought him back to NY and persecuted and then prosecuted him, have their head stuck in the sand or something. Oh, poor boy he did not have a gun. The politically correct police are trying to make it sound like he posed an immediate threat therefore the President was justified in killing him. When in fact the order to kill him came from the President himself who now wants to make it look different than reality. Does anybody believe that killing OBL was made by some line Delta 6 guy? Not a chance. If anything they are trained to follow orders even if they do not want to. That’s what this and other politicians do. They change reality to fit what a poll said. SPIN even when they get it right. SPIN. I wish the President had the courage and faith in “we the people” to just say I ordered it and that is that. Of course the liberal press would be apoplectic and I am sure the AG would consider an inquiry and maybe want to prosecute the President in NY City. After all OBL did not get his due process as required by the Constitution. He was an enemy combatant and he should have been read his Miranda Rights in his bedroom, just as the CIA and others are required to do or face prosecution. We prosecuted 3 other seals for much less. The AG wanted to send a message. What a load of Crap. OBL is dead and that is a good thing for our country.

Today I was proud of this country. We acted a little more like Israel in that as Bush said “ you can run but we will find you and kill you, we are coming for you”. The Israel’s have done this for years and sometimes it takes time for justice to be meted out. But it is a message that if you want to plan and carry out these events you will be killed. End of Story..